Explosive-gas motor.



Patentd Dec. 24, l90l.

No. 689,79I.

E. `CAI'LLAVET. ExPL'slyE GAS moron.

(Application led May 24, 1901.)

THE Nonms PETERS c'o. PHo'raLn'Nn., wAsHmaTou. u, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

vEXPLOSIVE-GAS MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,791, dated December24, 1901.

Application niet May 24,1901. serial No. 61,787. (no man.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE CAILLAvET, a citizen of the Republic ofFrance, residing at Villeneuve-sur-Lot, France, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in or` Relating to Explosive-Gas Motors,(for which I have made application for Letters Patent in GreatBritain,No. 8,776, dated April 29, 1901; in France, No, 305,001, datedOctober 31, 1900; in Germany, No. 123,726, dated November 23, 1900,andin Belgium, No. 156,197, dated April 27, 1901,) of which the followingis a specification.

The present invention relates to a gas-engine in which all theoperations take place automatically during one revolution of thecrank-shaft under natural conditions-that is, Without the aid of anyparticular mechanism, such as pnmps,valves, levers,carns, gear, springs,or the like.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section throughthe motor-cylinder, showing the piston in the suction position.A Fig. 2is a similar section, the piston being shown in the ignition position.Fig. 3 shows the piston in the exhaust position. Fig. 4 is a transversesection on the line V X of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on theline Y Z of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 shows a diagrammatic sketch of the differentpositions of the piston during the revolution of the crankshaft.

The cylinder a can be provided externally with any convenient means forcooling--as, for instance, with ribs or with a Water-jacket. The bottomof the cylinder is closed by means of a cover b, which is furnished withvtwo plugs c d of semicircular cross-section, said plugs being separatedby a diametral space e and surrounded by an annular space f along theinner circumference of the cylinder and communicating with the centraldiametral space'e. `The plugs c CZ extend into the interior of thecylinder a and are of unequal length for a purpose hereinafterexplained.

The cylinder a of this motor does not contain' any valves; but theadmission and exhaust ports k and Z are arranged diametri@- allyopposite to'each other in the Walls of the cylinder and at a certainheight,so as to comply with the requirements necessary for the operationof the piston.

The piston p comprises one portion which is entirely cylindrical andfurnished with segments arranged in such a manner that the chamberformed by the interior of the piston and of the cylinder is air-tightWhatever the position of the piston during the operation may be exceptduring admission or exhaust. These segments are arranged according tothe presen t=system so as to be prevented from rotation with regard tothe pistou.

The piston p is divided in two compartments T s by a diametral partitiong and is also provided with a transverse partition h. Beneath thetransverse partition 7i is placed a journal fi, which serves to connectthe piston to the connecting-rod j. Immediately above the partition hthe piston p is provided with admission and exhaust ports m o, arrangeddiametrically opposite to each other and having convenient section, soas to coincide in the required' position with the ports kl of thecylinder. The admission-ports 7c of the cylinder are arranged in an arcof a circle side by side and tive in number in the present construction,as shown in'Fig. 5. This number of course can be varied at will. Theseports are placed at a height so as to exactly coincide with thecorresponding openings in the piston when the latter is at the beginningof its stroke, Fig. 1. The exhaust-ports Z of the cylinder, in thepresent case also ve in number, are situated so as to coincide with thecorresponding openings 0 ofv the piston at the completion of thehalf-stroke of the latter, Fig. 3. sides of the connecting-rodi thepiston p is Beneath the partitionh at the' providedwith inner flanges orlugs q of such l a length as to cover the admission-ports k at the endof the piston-stroke, or, better, at the arrival of the piston at thebot-toni of the cylinder, Fig. 2. The purpose of these lugs is toprevent the gases formed and remaining in the suction-pipe from beinglost or contaminated by their contact with the atmosphere, as would bethe case if the inner opening lo of the cylinder were left open. Thelength of the' piston p is also arranged to cover the exhaust-openingslwhen the piston has arrived at the end of its return stroke, Fig. 1.When the piston p is at the end of its strokethat is, at the bottom ofthe cylinder-the plugs c d enter the interior of the IOO compartments frs of the piston, one of the plugs c entering the correspondingcompartment r, so as to entirely fill the latter except for a smallclearance necessary for the play of the piston for preventing frictionand to allow the gas a free circulation between the plug c and theinternal walls of the pistonchamber r. The other plug d projects intothe corresponding compartment s only to a certain extent, leaving a freespace in a portion of the compartment s and, as in the former case, acertain annular space between the plug and the internal walls of thecylinder for the same purposes. The clearance left thereby in thecompartment s is necessary at the arrival of the piston at the end ofits return stroke to receive the gases which are compressed therein'audto cause the gases to be mixed in this space. The ignition can beeitected by an incandescent tube or by an electric candle t, either ofwhich has to be placed in proximity to the compartments, in which theadmission and the compression of the gases are eitectedfand toward thebottom as near as possible to the transverse partition 7l, where thegases are pure. The electric igniter could also be placed at the bottomof the plug d, so as to be in contact with the pure gases compressed inthe remaining space of the corresponding compartment s.

The operation of this motor is as follows: Supposing the piston p is atthe middle of its stroke, as shown at Fig. 3, the exhaust-ports Z of thecylinder will coincide with the openings o ot the piston, so as to allowof a communication of the interior of the cylinder a and pistou p withthe outer atmosphere. In further turning the ily-wheel in the directionofthe arrow indicated in Fig. 6 the portsl will be closed, and oncontinuous motion a vacuum is produced until the piston p or itsadmission-openings m coincide with the ports 7c of the cylinder. At thismoment carbureted air passes into the compartment s (see Fig. l) untilthe pressure in the latter is equal to atmospheric pressure. It thiscompartment s has a greater capacity than the volume of the gasadmitted, the gas will all remain in this compartment s. On furtherrotation the piston is caused to return, thereby closing the admission-openings 7c ofthe cylinder and compressing the gas until itsexhaust-ports o are in communication with the exit Z from the cylinder,Fig. 3, which allows the escape of the air contained in the compartmentr until the pressure in the latter is equal to normal pressure. However,as this compartment has also a greater capacity than the volumedisplaced by the piston-stroke from the foregoing extreme position tothe openings of the ports Zonly a part of the contents of thecompartment 1' will escape. At this position the escaping gas will beair; but after an explosion the products ot' combustion will escape. Onfurther motion the piston closes the apertures Zand compresses theremainder of air contained in the bottom part of the cylinder and in theexhaust-compartment r, as well as the gas admitted into thegascompartment s, as the latter, always nnderslightcompression, couldnot have been displaced. A short time before the end of the totalcompression the mixture is put in contact, through theadmission-openings 'm of the piston, with the ignition apparatus, thuscausing the explosion. The piston is impelled by the action of theexpanding gas to the beginning of its forward stroke until theexhaust-ports of the cylinder Z, Fig. 8, are opened, allowing the escapeof the gas, whereby the internal pressure in the cylinder is reduced toatmospheric pressure. The momentum acquired causes the piston to closethe exhaust-ports and continue the suction-stroke until it againuncovers the admission-ports k, thereby allowing of the admission offresh gases, which, replacing the products of combustion, enter into thecom-- partment r, where they accumulate until the internal pressure isequalized. The fresh gases once admitted and not being capable ofcommunicating with the atmosphere caunot be exhausted before theirutilization.

From the foregoing it is clear that, except at the moment of admissionand exhaust of the gases, the interior of the cylinder is absolutelyclosed up, and owing to the combination of the plugs c d with thepartition g of the compartments r s the fresh gas after admission doesnot mix with the products of combustion remaining in the cylinder.

The operations of this motor take place regardless of the direction ofrotation of the fly-wheel and are always uniform.

It is obvious that instead of having two compartments in the piston andtwoV plugs in the -cylinder any convenient number and shape of thesefeatures could be provided for. Moreover, the plugs could be made solidor hollow and could be provided with means for cooling by means of watercirculation or the like.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. In an explosion-engine the combination of a hollow piston dividedlongitudinally into two compartments having openings for exhaust andadmission on the surface, a cylinder having corresponding inlet andexhaust ports and two plugs adapted to compress the gases in thecompartments.

2. In an explosion-engine the combination of a hollow piston dividedlongitudinally into two compartments having1 openings for exhaust andadmission on the surface, a cylinder having corresponding inlet andexhaust ports, two plugs adapted to enter said compartments 011 thereturn stroke of the piston and means for igniting the explosive mixturein the cylinder substantially as described.

3. In an explosion-engine the combination of a hollow piston dividedlongitudinally into two compartments having openings for exhaust andadmission on the surface, a cylinder having corresponding inlet andexhaust IOO lIO

ports, two plugs adapted to enter said compartments on the return strokeof the piston, means for igniting the explosive mixture in the cylinder,lugs on the piston adapted to cover the admission-inlet and means forigniting the explosive mixture in the cylinder substantially asdescribed.

4. In an explosion-engine the combination of a hollow piston dividedlongitudinally into two compartments having openings for exhaust andadmission on the surface, a cylinder having corresponding inlet andexhaust ports, two plugs adapted to enter said compartments on thereturn stroke of the piston, lu gs on the pistou to cover theadmission-inr5- lets, means for igniting the explosive mixture Withinthe cylinder and means for cooling the cylinder substantially asIdescribed.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of zo two subscribing Witnesses.

EUGENE CAILLAVET. Witnesses:

ACHILLE MARILLIER, JEAN ROBELET.

